Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with Norfolk and Waveney Acute Healthcare Collaborative on its proposal to move to a group model of operation.

The Department is aware that Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, and James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are considering the possibility of transitioning to a group model of operation from April 2025, with a single Chair and CEO across the three trusts.

The Department is not involved in approving group models. The trusts’ proposal has been made locally and the Case for Change will be subject to approval from NHS England to ensure that all appropriate planning and safeguards are in place for the change to happen.

The group model is intended to strengthen collaboration, enabling optimal efficiency, sharing of resources, a unified approach to tackling large-scale challenges, and improved patient care and outcomes.